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October 29, 2009

WS2: Yankees 3, Phillies 1

Pedro allowed two solo home runs through six innings -- Mark Teixeira leading off the fourth and Hideki Matsui with two outs in the sixth -- but then gave up two singles to start the seventh. One of them scored, giving Martinez a final line of 6-6-3-2-8, 107.

Pedro struck out three of the first four Yankees --and he fanned Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez twice each. He pitched extremely well, but the Phillies had no luck against Burnett (7-4-1-2-9, 108), who retired 11 of his last 12 batters. Burnett allowed only one Philadelphia runner past second base.

Mariano Rivera needed 39 pitches -- and a clutch double play with the go-ahead run at the plate in the eighth -- to get through the final two innings.

I don't know if you realize this, but because of you guys [the media], in some ways, I might be at times the most influential player that ever stepped [on to the field] at Yankee Stadium. I can honestly say that. I have all the respect in the world for the way they enjoy being fans. Sometimes they might be giving you the middle finger ... I don't have any problem with that.

used me and abused me since I've been coming to [Yankee] Stadium. I remember quotes in the paper, "Here comes the man that New York loves to hate." The man? None of you have ever eaten steak with me or rice and beans with me to understand what I'm all about as a man. You might say the player, the competitor, but the man? You guys have abused my name. You guys have said so many things and have written so many things.

There was one time I remember when I was a free agent, there was talk that I might meet with Steinbrenner. One of your colleagues had me in the papers with horns and a tail, red horns and a tail. That's a sign of the devil. I'm a Christian man. I don't like those things. I take those things very serious. Those are the kind of things that the fans actually get used to seeing, and actually sometimes influence those people to believe that you are a bad person, that you are like an ogre.

Any time I hear that "Who's your daddy?" it really reminds me that God is my daddy. It gives me strength. ... When you have 60,000 people chanting your name, waiting for you to throw the ball, you have to consider yourself someone special, someone that really has a purpose out there.

Pedro and the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS and then won the World Series. That should have put the Daddy talk to rest forever.

After watching their team commit the worst choke job in the history of baseball, Yankee fans chanting "Who's your daddy?" makes as much sense as chanting "1918".

Burnett (6-8-5-2-7, 95) faced the Phillies on May 22, 2009, allowing three home runs and losing 7-3.

236 comments:

Peter Abraham, Globe: "Girardi shook it up, benching Swisher and using Hairston based on his past (and long ago) success against Pedro. Meanwhile, he is sitting Posada for personal catcher Jose Molina. If Burnett doesn't pitch well again and the Yankees aren't able to generate enough offense to win, Girardi is going to get roasted ..."

SoSH:Jon Heyman was just on with Mike Francessa. He says the Red Sox "are going very hard and may be a lock" to get Roy Halladay this offseason. He said their offer was Buchholz, Hagadone, Bowden, and one other prospect. He then goes onto say that they will go at them with a lesser offer given the time left on Halladay's contract.

Someone else said he heard in the interview "and it didn't strike me as anything more than Heyman conjecture".

That must be it. If it wasn't for Pedro Martinez I probably wouldn't have been as into the Red Sox as I am. I used to drop everything to watch Pedro pitch.

Amalie Benjamin said the same thing about dropping everything to watch Pedro pitch on Twitter.

But it was Joe Castig who said to Ken Davidoff that he showed up because "I had to see Pedro pitch."

Blast from the past but you certainly can't discount that 8 IP 130 pitch performance earlier this year, last start against the Dodgers and tonight's start. You see Pedro pitch and think about the past, and then Pedro makes Milk Dud swing like that, tonight, in the 2009 World Series.

Rollins has never been one to get a lot of walks. He somehow managed to get 212 hits in 2007 and still bat under .300 because he only had 49 walks. I honestly think Victorino would be a better leadoff guy for them.

Aside from the Mother's Day Miracle, probably the game I remember most at Fenway was taking my daughters to see Pedro pitch. My older daughter, probably around 17, 18 at the time, was (and is) not a baseball fan, but I told her to watch and remember because she was seeing the best pitcher in baseball. I wonder if she remembers...

RS - per the record setting game. I got busy with something else and missed your comment. I think I mentioned it the night in Boston, but maybe not. Cathy and I were doing a show in NY and took off to the Bronx on a lark, even the game was officialy sold out. Got into the left field bleacher section for face value, and have NEVER seen a game that comes close since in terms of atmosphere and raw electricity in the air. It was awesome with a capital A

we gave up and went home -- our guy with tix was delayed at work -- and got home in the 4th. watched the rest and then rewound the vcr to see what we missed early. i can't imagine the atmosphere. it looked amazing on tv.

Watching Pedro was the first time I noticed the fans getting up at Fenway and cheering with 2 strikes, especially with 2 outs. I rarely see it with that much fervor since Pedro left. Every time I do, I think of him.

The other day I noticed that the only two teams that haven't had their closer blow a save this postseason were the Yankees and the Phillies. As soon as I saw that, I got the feeling Rivera was going to blow a key one.

I'm hoping its tonight.

Remember: Rivera's probably coming in in the 8th. Pedro can still get the win in that scenario.

I saw the troll post. It was intelligent and well written. I am not sure why a real baseball fan like ourselves here would watch a world series game. These yankees fans are really sore winners nowadays after they sucked so bad for a few years. If you are that good a team to win every year, you do.